Two ardent Kennedy campaign volunteers, Yannick Phillips and Lauren Ayers, hatched this Declaration in support of our farmers nationwide.

Yannick lives in Vallejo, California, where she teaches Farm to Table, and Lauren resides in Capay Valley, California, home to many organic farms. 

Yannick was a leader in the grassroots effort to stop mandatory spraying for the Light Brown Apple Moth. A while later she played a key role in protecting raw milk sales in California, and was the legislative advocate for farmers and consumers for the California State Grange. Back in 2009, she also co-wrote legislation with Paul A., called AB1401 ‘Transition to Organics,’ that passed (but Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed it). 

Furthermore, Yannick and Paul A. worked in the California Democratic Party, which included creating a Sustainable Food and Ag Caucus. However, that was not accepted, despite the fact that the party already has 19 other caucuses, and California is the largest ag state of the nation. Even to this day, the California Democratic Party still has no Agriculture Caucus.

Lauren, a retired teacher, is the volunteer coordinator of the Capay Valley chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation. (Her separate volunteering with the Foundation is not an endorsement by the Foundation of any political campaign.)

Yannick and Lauren came upon the overlooked fact that even though farmers and ranchers are often neglected in American culture, their Trust Quotient is among the highest of any profession: 88%. 

In an inspired moment, Yannick and Lauren agreed: “This is a natural fit with Bobby and Nicole’s regenerative ag policies, let’s build on that connection! Farmers and ranchers, like most entrepreneurs, avoid bringing politics into a business relationship. However, Farmers For Kennedy believes that, deep down, most consumers want to know what would support farmers and ranchers. 

This simple Declaration of Support for the Kennedy-Shanahan Ticket lets everyone know how highly we esteem the people who grow our food. As consumers, our vote on November 5th can make it possible for farmers to flourish and healthy soil to be a top priority.

Yannick Phillips – 707 337-6739

Lauren Ayers – lauren.yolocounty@gmail.com